Jim Korwan

Given his standout performance in Brooklyn amateur baseball ranks, high hopes were attached to the signing of pitcher Jim Korwan by his hometown National League club in April 1894. Young (20), good-sized (6-feet-1, 181 pounds), and possessed of a blazing fastball, Korwan was impressive in spring training competitions. But a nightmarish relief outing early in the regular season quickly persuaded Brooklyn Grooms manager Dave Foutz that the newcomer needed seasoning, and he farmed Korwan out.

Back-to-back 20-plus victory seasons at the mid-tier minor league level earned our subject a second big league chance in 1897, this time with the Chicago Colts. Yet once again, Korwan was found wanting; he drew his release after only five appearances. Still young, Korwan persevered and pitched well in the high minor Eastern League later that season. But his performance noticeably declined the following year. Thereafter, Korwan’s name mysteriously vanished from newsprint. The disappearance remained unexplained until September 1899. Then Sporting Life informed readers of the sad cause: Jim Korwan had contracted consumption and died at age 25.1 A baseball-centric account of his abbreviated life follows.

James Korwan was born in Brooklyn on March 4, 1874. He was the seventh of the nine children2 born to draftsman John (Johannes) H. Korwan (1830-1894), a German-Catholic immigrant from Hesse, and his wife Johanna Elizabeth (née Bouten, 1837-1899), a native of the Netherlands. Apart from receiving the elementary school education customarily afforded the children of immigrants, little is known of young Jim’s early life. But he grew up in one of the game’s spawning grounds and an older brother was a member of Brooklyn’s amateur baseball champions.3 Thus, Korwan’s gravitation toward the diamond was natural. A profile published in the Brooklyn Eagle maintained that “when a very small boy [Korwan] delighted to play one o’cat in the vacant lots near his home in South Brooklyn … and rooted for Brooklyn at Washington park.”4 At age 15, he joined the Lincolns, an amateur nine, and in 1892 he was engaged by a local semipro club called the Augustines.5 But it was Korwan’s pitching for the top-flight amateur Fulton club that caught the attention of NL Brooklyn Grooms manager Dave Foutz, himself an outstanding major league hurler until a thumb injury compelled his conversion to field positions.6

Late during the 1893 season, Foutz invited right-hander Korwan7 to throw against Brooklyn batters during a practice session at Eastern Park. The following April, the young pitcher reinforced the favorable impression he had made on Foutz the previous fall. Wearing the livery of the amateur Murray Hill club of New York, Korwan “made a remarkably fine showing under trying [windy] conditions” in an exhibition game outing against the Grooms.8 Days later, Korwan – who had just turned 20 years old – turned pro, signing with Brooklyn.9

The signing drew a protest from the Norwich club of the Connecticut State League, which asserted its own contract-based claim to Korwan’s services.10 But the CSL was not yet a signatory of the National Agreement, so Norwich lacked the standing needed to prosecute its grievance and the dispute was promptly resolved in Brooklyn’s favor.11

Shortly thereafter, Korwan made his first outing as a professional against overmatched collegians. He struck out eight St. John’s College batsmen and breezed to a complete-game triumph, 24-6.12 After the game, Grooms catcher Con Daily declared that “Korwan’s delivery was every bit as swift” as that of flamethrower Amos Rusie, the National League strikeout king.13 A cautionary note, however, was sounded by baseball sage Henry Chadwick, who observed that “speed [without control] is worse than useless. Korwan, too, has much to learn in that respect.”14 It was an astute observation: inability to command the strike zone proved a career-long handicap for the pitcher. For the time being, however, “the Brooklyn players [were] unanimous in their opinion that Korwan is a comer.”15

Korwan continued to impress when confronted by professional batsmen. Brought on in relief against the Binghamton (New York) Bingos of the minor Eastern League, “he showed wonderful speed, alternating a long outshoot with a slow drop that mystified the Bingos greatly.”16 Days later, “Korwan pitched a good game” in posting a complete-game triumph over another EL club, the Springfield (Massachusetts) Ponies.17

The youngster made Brooklyn’s opening day roster but saw no action as the Grooms began the campaign in disappointing fashion, dropping three straight games to the NL’s defending champion, the Boston Beaneaters. Assigned to halt the losing skein, Brickyard Kennedy proved unequal to the task, removed after four innings with Brooklyn trailing the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-1. Summoned in relief, Jim Korwan made his major league debut in the April 24 game, but his performance soon turned the contest into a laugher. He began by walking three and allowing two base hits; combined with an infield error, this yielded four Phillies runs in the fifth. Korwan “was evidently rattled, and the jeering remarks of the bleacherers only added to his nervousness.”18 From there, things only worsened as the Phils kept piling on runs. The final score: Philadelphia 22, Brooklyn 5.

In five innings of work, Korwan allowed 14 runs, eight earned, for a bloated maiden-game 14.40 ERA. Phillies batsmen touched him for nine hits (which included a home run and a triple by Lave Cross) and drew five walks. Korwan also threw a wild pitch, while striking out two. The ghastly showing made it obvious that the novice was not ready to face major league hitters. Yet Foutz still had “a great deal of faith in [Korwan’s] ability as a pitcher, and thinks that he will prove to be a winner as soon as he has a little more experience.”19 So rather than release him outright, Foutz optioned Korwan to the Macon (Georgia) Hornets of the Southern League, with the intention of recalling him if he pitched as well as expected for his new club.20

Korwan got off to a fast start with Macon, notching a three-hit, 6-4 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans in his first Southern League outing.21 Thereafter, he lost five consecutive decisions, undermined by “a tendency to be wild in his delivery.”22 Korwan finally registered a second victory on June 19, staggering to a 17-16 win over New Orleans that elevated his Macon log to 2-5 (.286), with a 4.14 ERA, 23 strikeouts, and 31 walks in 63 innings.23 The following week, the cellar-dwelling (15-41, .268) Macon club disbanded.

Korwan promptly trained back to Brooklyn, but Foutz still considered him unready for the National League. He therefore “loaned” the young hurler to the Buffalo Bisons of the Eastern League.24 Korwan’s stay there was brief and unproductive. Given a start against the Syracuse Stars, he lasted two innings, surrendering seven runs on nine base hits and two walks before being lifted in a slugfest that ended in a 21-17 Buffalo defeat. “He was a miserable failure from the start,” declared a Buffalo daily. Korwan “was very wild, as predicted, and when he did get the balls over the plate, the [Syracuse] batters pounded him unmercifully.”25

Two days later, Korwan managed to hold Syracuse scoreless during two frames of relief work in another high-scoring Bisons loss, 16-10. The performance, however, left local “baseball cranks … not much enthused over. . . the new pitcher.”26 Nor did many minds change after he recorded a 13-9 win in an exhibition game against a club from London, Ontario. Days later, Buffalo returned Korwan to Brooklyn.27 By this time, however, manager Foutz had also soured on him. A deal to sell Korwan’s contract to the Detroit Creams of the Western League fell through.28 Subsequently. the once-promising pitching prospect was released.29 He finished the season pitching for an amateur club in Woodsburgh, Long Island.30

Korwan reentered professional ball in 1895, signing with Springfield of the Eastern League.31 However, he was cut during spring training.32 He then latched on with the Brockton (Massachusetts) Shoemakers of the mid-tier minor New England League.33 At last beginning to harness some of his talent, Korwan pitched well. Working for a sixth-place club that otherwise went 26-40 (.394), Lightning James posted a fine 22-16 (.579) record in 38 outings.34 He also occasionally filled in at first base, although the righty-batting sub contributed little to the Shoemakers offense (.171 BA in 46 games overall).35 At the campaign’s end, Brockton reserved Korwan for the next year.36

The NEL season concluded in early September. Thereafter, Korwan spent the remainder of the playing year as an arm-for-hire, working for various independent clubs in southern New England. He finished the year pitching a team from Torrington to the championship of Western Connecticut.37

Despite being reserved by Brockton, Korwan was engaged for the new season by the Newark Colts of the newly formed Atlantic League.38 The signing elicited a swift objection from Brockton club directors, which Newark ignored, using Korwan in preseason games.39 He was also Newark’s starter on Opening Day, dropping a well-pitched effort to the New York Metropolitans, 6-2. Days later, Korwan was the winner in relief as Newark beat the Mets, 23-7. The pitcher’s early-season performance delighted Sporting Life’s Newark correspondent, who stated that Korwan “is pitching wonderful ball and has speed to burn.”40

The club was also enamored of its new acquisition – but not to the point of defying organized baseball’s Board of Arbitration. When the board ruled in Brockton’s favor, the Newark Colts withdrew all claims upon Korwan’s services.41 Shortly thereafter, the pitcher reported to his former club and immediately set about demonstrating that the previous season’s success was not a fluke. Taking the ball 41 times, Korwan turned in an outstanding 24-14 (.632) record for a Brockton club that improved to third place (63-43, .594). Over 342 2/3 innings, he fashioned an eye-catching 1.57 ERA, threw four shutouts, and was the New England League leader in strikeouts (168).42 Previously a harmless hitter, Jim even turned in a useful .238 batting average (36-for-151), with two homers. Illustrating his prowess in both categories was an August 24 outing against the Augusta (Maine) Kennebecs. Korwan tossed a three-hit shutout and supplied the only run in a 1-0 Brockton victory with a fifth-inning homer.43

Korwan’s performance revived major league interest. In February 1897, newly installed Brooklyn manager Billy Barnie announced that he had secured the hurler’s release from Brockton.44 As seen three years before, “great things are expected of pitcher Korwan,” asserted the press.45 His fastball was again compared to Amos Rusie’s.46 Korwan, too, expressed confidence in himself. “I have had excellent experience since I joined the minor leagues, having got on to all the tricks and gained the necessary control,” he informed the Brooklyn Eagle.47 The acquisition was thereafter approved by the New York Clipper, which observed that Korwan “has improved wonderfully since his trial by the Brooklyn club several years ago. He has a wonderful amount of speed and is more accurate now than he was then.”48

During spring camp, though, the Brooklyn signee’s work was spotty. It ended on a down note with an exhibition outing against the Lancaster (Pennsylvania) Maroons of the Atlantic League in which “Korwan was hit without difficulty throughout the game, besides which he was very wild.”49 Nevertheless, he made the roster and was seated on the bench when the Grooms began the season with a 5-4 win over Washington on April 22. For the next 43 games, Korwan remained glued there, seeing no game action whatsoever as manager Barnie, for reasons unknown, declined to use him. Finally in mid-June, the idle hurler was sold to the NL’s Chicago Colts.50

More than a decade removed from piloting his last National League pennant winner, player-manager Cap Anson now helmed a Chicago club in decline and in dire need of pitching help. He therefore lost little time in trying out his new hurler, handing Korwan the ball for a June 22 game against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Struggling with his control – he issued seven walks – Korwan was in frequent trouble. Yet he retained his composure and would likely have been victorious had he not been undermined by shoddy defensive support.51 According to most news accounts, all the runs scored by Pittsburgh in its 7-3 victory were unearned.52 But Korwan also surrendered 10 base hits and struck out only two Pirates hitters. Still, the next day’s press reviews were generally positive, with the Chicago Inter Ocean commending the Colt debutant’s “excellent speed and a curveball that was difficult to hit.”53

Korwan’s performance was sufficient for manager Anson to give him another start six days later against Louisville. Once again, Korwan was on the wrong end, this time of a 7-2 decision, but pitched well enough (eight hits, five strikeouts, three earned runs) to receive a third starting assignment. Working the morning game of a July 5 doubleheader against Washington, he registered his first – and only – major league triumph, a complete-game 6-4 win. But from there, his work rapidly deteriorated. In his next start, he surrendered four first-inning runs to Boston and was lifted in the second. Only a late-game Chicago rally spared Korwan from defeat. And he was dreadful in a subsequent relief appearance against Baltimore, giving up 14 runs over five innings in a 20-2 shellacking of the Colts.

That outing sealed Korwan’s fate. Days later, he was unconditionally released by Chicago; his stay with the Colts had lasted a little over one month.54 His departure drew a particularly harsh farewell from the Inter Ocean: “James Korwan … was released today. He had been a sad and dismal failure, and nobody is sorry.”55

This brought the major league career of Jim Korwan to a close. In six games overall, he posted a 1-2 (.333) record, with an inflated 6.92 ERA over 39 innings pitched. During that span, he allowed 56 base hits and 33 walks, while striking out 14. The hurler had done himself no good at the plate, going 0-for-14, but fielded his position well, making but a single error in 21 chances (.952 fielding percentage). Although just 23 years old, Korwan’s professional career – indeed, his very life – had only a short course yet to run.

Following his discharge by Chicago, Korwan pitched a game-for-hire for a club in South Bend, Indiana.56 Thereafter, he signed with the Springfield Ponies,57 the Eastern League team that had cut him two years earlier. There, Korwan immediately recovered form, throwing a four-hit, 12-0 shutout at the Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Coal Barons in his Springfield premiere.58 Two weeks later, he notched complete-game victories in both ends of a doubleheader against the Montreal Royals, striking out 15 enemy batters in the process.59 At season’s end, Korwan’s log stood at 13-11 (.542), with an excellent 1.55 ERA and 120 strikeouts in 192 innings pitched.

Korwan returned to Springfield for the 1898 season but was not the same pitcher. He started the campaign with an unsightly 17-15 loss to the Toronto Maple Leafs and declined from there. Curiously described as a “cripple” in early August,60 Korwan finished the season at 8-18 (.308), having given up 269 base hits, 101 walks, and 10 hit batsmen in 256 innings pitched. He also struck out 101. Despite the steep falloff in performance, Korwan was reserved for the 1899 season by Springfield.61 It was later reported, however, that the club was unlikely to offer him a new contract.62 And with that Jim Korwan’s name faded from newsprint.

As the 1899 baseball season opened and progressed, it went unreported that Korwan had contracted consumption, the lethal scourge of the late-19th century game. Confined to the family residence in Brooklyn, he died there early on the evening of July 24, 1899.63 James (Long Jim/Lightning James) Korwan was 25 years old. Strangely, his passing garnered no mention in the Brooklyn press or elsewhere on newspaper sports pages. Nor was an obituary or remembrance published.64 Finally, more than five weeks after his demise, Sporting Life noted briefly that “James Korwan … died recently of consumption.”65 And some years later, sportswriter Bill Phelon included Korwan in his roster of the Chicago Colts players who had died young.66

By the time that Phelon mentioned him, Jim Korwan was long in his grave. Following funeral services, his remains were interred in Green-Wood Cemetery, Brooklyn. Never married and without issue, the deceased’s survivors included his mother (who died only 12 days after her son) and seven siblings.67

Acknowledgments

This biography was reviewed by Gregory H. Wolf and Rory Costello and fact-checked by Jeff Findley.

Sources

Sources for the biographical info imparted above include the Korwan profile in David Nemec, The Rank and File of 19th Century Major League Baseball (Jefferson, North Carolina: McFarland, 2012); US Census and other government records accessed via Ancestry.com; and certain of the newspaper articles cited in the endnotes. Unless otherwise specified, statistics have been taken from Baseball-Reference.

Notes

1 “News and Comment,” Sporting Life, September 2, 1899: 6.

2 James’s siblings were Edward (born 1859), Anna (1860), John Henry (1862), Maria (1864), Matilda (1868), Henry (c. 1871), Hugo (1876), and Elizabeth (1879).

3 Henry Korwan played left field for the Sidney Base Ball Club, champions of the Brooklyn Base Ball Association of the mid-1890s.

4 “Korwan’s Fine Points,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 3, 1894: 9.

5 Same as above.

6 A lanky right-hander, Foutz posted an exceptional 147-66 (.690) record as a major leaguer before a thumb injury necessitated his conversion into an outfielder-first baseman. As a batter, the good-hitting Foutz registered two 100+ RBI seasons, one for the St. Louis Browns of the American Association (1887), the other for AA Brooklyn (1889).  

7 A number of contemporary news reports identify Korwan as a left-hander, and Baseball-Reference lists him as throws left today. But Korwan himself settled the question in February 1897, visiting offices of the Brooklyn Eagle for the express purpose of contradicting reports that he was a lefty. Korwan was a right-handed thrower. See “Korwan Ready for Work,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 9, 1897: 10.

8 “Korwan’s Fine Points,” above.

9 Same as above.

10 Per “Baseball Notes,” Brooklyn Standard Union, April 2, 1894: 9. Korwan had earlier signed a contract with Norwich manager Tom York, per “Baseball Gossip,” Brooklyn Citizen, April 28, 1894: 3. The competing claims upon Korwan’s services were also noted in “Personal and Pertinent,” Sporting Life, April 7, 1894: 3.

11 “The Alleged Connecticut Claim on Korwan Proves a Bluff,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 4, 1894: 8; “Korwan Belongs to the Brooklyns,” Standard Union, April 4, 1894: 8. Promulgated in 1883, the National Agreement obligated signatory leagues to respect the player contract and reserve clause rights of other NA member clubs.

12 As reported in “The Team Is Complete,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 6, 1894: 9. See also, “Baseball: Another Exercise Game for the Leaguers,” Brooklyn Standard Union, April 6, 1894: 8.

13 “The Team Is Complete,” above.

14 Henry Chadwick, “Baseball Notes,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 5, 1894: 8.

15 “Base Ball Notes,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 8, 1894: 3.

16 “Joyous Home Cranks,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 14, 1894: 2.

17 “A Victory for Brooklyn,” Brooklyn Standard Union, April 17, 1894: 8.

18 “The Warriors Swamped,” Brooklyn Times, April 25, 1894: 2.

19 “We Have a New Pitcher,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, April 28, 1894: 2.

20 Same as above. Foutz explained the move thus: “We let Korwan go because Macon wanted to borrow him. He gets the same salary that he would get in Brooklyn. I might recall him next week only I want him to get some experience down South. I will bring him back within a month,” per “Brooklyn Will Try Foutz,” New York Sun, May 12, 1894: 9.

21 See “New Orleans Is a Length Nearer Last,” New Orleans Daily Picayune, May 1, 1894: 6, which misspells the Macon pitcher’s name Kerwin.

22 “Rain Stops Many Games,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 25, 1894: 5.

23 As calculated by the writer from box scores published in Southern League newspapers. Baseball-Reference does not include his stay with the Macon Hornets in its entry for Jim Korwan.

24 As reported in “Base Ball Notes,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) News-Dealer, July 4, 1894: 2. See also, “Baseball Gossip,” Brooklyn Citizen, July 3, 1894: 3; “Baseball Notes,” New York Sun, July 3, 1894: 4.

25 “Conleys Posies,” Buffalo Evening News, June 30, 1894: 5.

26 “Caught at the Plate,” Buffalo Sunday Morning News, July 1, 1894: 9.

27 As reported in “Foutz Still Has Hogan,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 7, 1894: 3.

28 Per “Sporting Miscellany,” Detroit Free Press, July 10, 1894: 3.

29  As reported in “Base Ball Notes,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, July 28, 1894: 2: “Korwan is no longer on the pay roll of the Brooklyn club.”

30 As noted in the Brooklyn Daily Eagle, September 2, 1894: 3.

31 See “Eastern League,” Sporting Life, April 6, 1895: 2.

32 Per “General Sporting News,” Toronto Star, April 16, 1895: 2.

33 As reported in “New Men for Brockton,” Worcester Daily Telegram, April 17, 1895: 7. One of the Brockton signees was identified as Lightning James Korwan. The moniker was subsequently adopted by other circuit newspapers. See e.g., Providence Evening Bulletin, July 26, 1895: 2. The Long Jim nickname ascribed to Korwan by Baseball-Reference does not appear in newsprint reviewed by the writer (although the adjective elongated was sometimes applied to him).

34 Per New England League stats published in the 1897 Reach Official Base Ball Guide, 151.

35 1897 Reach Guide, 146.

36 As memorialized in “Base Ball Notes,” Daily Kennebec (Augusta, Maine) Journal, September 21, 1895: 2.

37 See “Korwan’s Great Pitching,” Meriden (Connecticut) Daily Journal, October 7, 1895: 2. Korwan struck out 15 Winsted batters as Torrington cruised to an 18-7 victory.

38 Per “Sporting Notes,” Syracuse Herald, March 1, 1896: 12. The signing was based on the claim that the reserve clause had been deleted from Korwan’s contract with Brockton.

39 In his first preseason effort for Newark, Korwan threw a one-hit shutout at the Syracuse Stars. See “General Sporting News,” Bangor (Maine) Daily Commercial, April 10, 1896: 3.

40 J.F.G., “Newark News,” Sporting Life, May 9, 1896: 24.

41 The board’s decision in the Korwan case was reported in “Base Ball Notes,” Daily Kennebec Journal, May 1, 1896: 2; “Baseball Notes,” Fall River (Massachusetts) Daily Herald, April 29, 1896: 7; and elsewhere.

42 Per the Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball, Lloyd Johnson & Miles Wolff, eds. (Durham, North Carolina: Baseball America, Inc., 3d. 2007), 170.

43 See “Korwan vs. Dowd,” Boston Globe, August 25, 1896: 10.

44 As reported in “Willie Mains Signs,” Boston Journal, February 2, 1897: 3; “Brooklyn’s New Pitcher,” Brooklyn Daily Eagle, February 1, 1897: 1; and elsewhere. Barnie had succeeded Dave Foutz as Brooklyn manager earlier in the off-season.

45 “Diamond Dust,” Milwaukee Journal, February 27, 1897: 8.

46 See “Notes,” Boston Sunday Herald, February 14, 1897: 9, citing Brooklyn pitcher Jack Sharrott.

47 See again, “Korwan Ready for Work,” above.

48 “Baseball: The Brooklyn Club,” New York Clipper, March 27, 1897: 62.

49 “Lancaster Bears Brooklyn,” New York Tribune, April 17, 1897: 3. Korwan gave up 12 base hits and 11 walks on the way to taking an 11-3 beating.

50 As noted in “Chipped Diamonds,” Pawtucket (Rhode Island) Evening Tribune, June 18, 1897: 3; Baseball Notes,” New York Sun, June 17, 1897: 5; and elsewhere. Chicago player-manager Cap Anson reportedly paid $300 for the Korwan’s release, per “New England League Gossip,” Boston Herald, June 22, 1897: 7.

51 In the opinion of the Chicago press. See “Colts Play Poor Ball,” Chicago Chronicle, June 23, 1897: 5; “Errors Lose a Game,” Chicago Inter Ocean, June 23, 1897: 5.

52 The box scores published in three Chicago newspapers (Tribune, Inter Ocean, and Chronicle) and two of three in Pittsburgh (Press and Post) charged no earned runs to Korwan. The outlier was the Pittsburgh Commercial Gazette which charged him with three.

53 “Errors Lose a Game,” above.

54 See “Brief Ball Notes,” Rockford (Illinois) Daily Register-Gazette, July 24, 1897: 3; “Korwan Is Released,” Chicago Chronicle, July 23, 1897: 10.

55 Chicago Inter Ocean, July 23, 1897: 10.

56 See “Other Ball Games,” Chicago Chronicle, July 26, 1897: 8. Korwan struck out 10 but was beaten by the Whiting Grays, 5-0.

57 The Korwan signing by Springfield was reported in “Baseball Brevities,” Chicago Chronicle, August 8, 1897: 30; “Brief Ball Notes,” Cleveland Plain Dealer, August 6, 1897: 6; and elsewhere.

58 Per the box score accompanying “Sports,” Wilkes-Barre (Pennsylvania) Times, August 10, 1897: 3.

59 See “Two Games for ‘Ponies,’” Springfield (Massachusetts) Republican, August 22, 1897: 1. Korwan won the first game 5-1, the nightcap, 13-3, allowing Montreal only 12 base hits, total.

60 See “Buffalos Step Down,” Buffalo Evening News, August 6, 1898: 6.

61 “Minor Reserves,” Sporting Life, October 1, 1898: 5.

62 See “Base Ball,” Lowell (Massachusetts) Sun, March 2, 1899: 6.

63 The Korwan death certificate lists the cause of death as asthenia (general debility) as a result of pulmonary tuberculosis (consumption).

64 The Brooklyn Daily Eagle, however, noted the recent passing of James Korwan in the death notice published for his mother on August 6, 1899.

65 “News and Comment,” above.

66 See W. A. Phelon, “Chicago Gleanings,” Sporting Life, August 7, 1906: 1, and November 18, 1905: 7.

67 Of the nine Korwan siblings, only older sister Maria Korwan Murray (1864-1898) preceded Jim in death.